New Sunday Shopping Hours Effective August 1

Starting August 1, 2012, Manitobans can start shopping on Sunday mornings. It will be just in time for the Civic Holiday/August long weekend.

The changes to the Manitoba’s Retail Businesses Holiday Closing Act will allow business to extend opening hours on Sundays and some statutory holidays. It will also protect workers who don’t want to work the extended hours. Workers now have the right to refuse to work on a Sunday without being penalized as long as they give 14 days notice.

The legislation:

* expands the hours retail businesses can be open on Sundays under a municipal bylaw by an additional three hours in the morning, widening Sunday shopping hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.;

* authorizes employment standards officers to order an employer to compensate or reinstate an employee penalized for exercising their right to refuse work on a Sunday; and

* affirms that retail workers have the right to refuse work on Sundays, provided they give their employer at least 14 days notice. (The full 14 days notice is not required for the first two Sundays of August, however, employees must give their employer as much notice as is reasonable.)

Shopping restrictions on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Canada Day, Labour Day, Remembrance Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day will also remain the same.